Trunk-slat



2 Sheets-Sheet l` R. TOPHAM.

TRUNK SLAT.

PaftQIllted Jan. 13,1891.

Vt rrNEssE-s:

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. R. TOPHAM.

TRUNK SLAT (NoModel.)

Patented Jan. 13,1891l Waas:

l vENToR; @zchmd 2 5/#zalm ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT Fries.

RICHARD TOPHAM, OF CHIGAGQ'ILLINOIS.

TRUNK-SLAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,736, dated January 13, 1891. Application iiled February 25, 1890. Serial No. 341,761. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that. I, RICHARD TOPHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago,in the county of Cool; and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TrunkeSlats; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accom panying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

lhis invention relates to an improved form of slat for use in the manufacture of trunks; and it consists, primarily, in forming the slat of a strip of metal longitudinally corrugated, having its side edges turned down or under in such a manner that the edges or the faces of the parts thus turned down form an inner face for the slat.

It also consists in forming as an integral partof such slat end or side extensions, or both, adapted to be bent down to form end or side clamps for the purpose of securing the slat in place and protecting the edges of the trunk, the side clamps also taking the place of the ornamental trimming commonly used.

A further feature of improvement consists in attaching to a slat of the form described a suitable roller or caster mounted in bearings in ears struck up from the body of the slat.

The features of the side and end clamps and the rollers may be used with slats which are not longitudinally corrugated. The side and end clamps, however, are particularly adapted to slats having their longitudinal edges turned under to form inner bearingfaces, and are only used by mein connection with such slats.

The above-mentioned and minor points of improvement will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichu Figure l is a perspective view of a trunk provided with slats of the construction herein set forth; Fig. 2, a detail showing a cross-sectional view of the several forms in which the Slat maybe constructed; Fig. 3, a perspective view of a portion of a slat provided with end clamps 3 Fig. 4, a similar view of a corrugated slat having end and side clamps formed in one piece therewith; Fig. 5, a view of a portion of the end of a slat, showing the manner in which the roller-bearings are formed; and Fig 6, a cross-section of the same, showing the roller in position.

Like characters designate corresponding parts in each of the drawings.

The slat may be made in several forms, as shown in Fig. 2, the simplest form, as a, consisting of a strip of metal having its edges turned over so as to leave a little space be` tween the fold and the body of the slat, the turned-over edge forming an inner face or bearing-surface for the slat; or b, a strip of metal having longitudinal corrugations, the side edges ofthe same being bent down so as to lie in a plane substantially perpendicular to the general plane of the slat or within said plane; or c, which is substantially a combination of the two forms a and b, consisting of a longitudinally-corrugated strip having its side edges folded under to form an inner face, the essential feature common to all forms consisting in the formation of the edges of the body of the slat whereby they constitute a bearing-surface for the slat such that the strain shall be exerted upon the same in an edgewise direction, insuring strength with little Weight and giving a smooth rounded edge i to the slat.

ln the drawings, l designates the body of the slat having its side. edges turned down, as shown at 2, so as to lie either in or within a plane perpendicular to the general plane of the face, or, in other words, so that the turneddown edge forms a right angle or an angle less than a right angle with the plane of the face. The object of the turned edge is to increase the strength of the slat and to give a smooth rounded edge, and in practice it 1s preferable that the edge should lie at an angle less than a right angle to the face, in order that a weight or blow upon the face may have a tendency to turn the edge still farther in, thus insuring the covering of the raw edge of the metal, and this end may be more certainly gained by turning the edge under for a short distance on each side, as shown ac3 in theldrawings, so as to form an inner face substantially parallel to the outer face of the slata IOO I only claim as my invention, as far as the slat itself is concerned, a ,corrugated `metal slat having its longitudinal edges turned under to form a bearing-surface for the slat.

The slat with a plain uncorrugated body is' against the trunk. These slats take all the shocks which are incident to the handling of the trunk, and hence it is desirable that they should 4bevery strong.

in and beingbroken. These advantages are not possessed by la slat having a .plain body,y

and .the plain-body slats are Vreferred toonly .becausetheymay be used with the v.otherv features .yetto be described.

Thecorrugated. slats, as heretofore de-l scribed, .,may be1 secured to .the trunk inthe ordinaryvmanner by means of. separate endi clamps, but forthepurpose of increasing the strength `and.effecting a vsaving of .time 'and labfonin .applying them .the slatv may be prof videdmith .end or side clamps A and, respectively,.or.both, formed in one piece there-- with. `The several clamps may be stamped out onone tside and .the .endsofa strip of. metal and-,then bent downto the requiredl angle-,according to theform of the part ofthe ,trnnkitowvhich `they are to .be applied. The .Opposite sides of the slatare turned down or` under, yasdoefore described, and `the piecesi leftbetween the adjacent sideclampsare turn-ed .in A.the same. manner. The slat isfthen in shape to .beiapplied to the trunk, nailfholes .16.16 .being formed in the ,several,clampsV44 and in the body of the slat for purposes of attachment` 1t; will be seen-that byreaso-n of .the .slatandclamps being formed in .one Apiece notonlyis therea greatagain in the matter of strength, ,buta lessnumber of nails isneces-y sary, wherebytime isesavedin construction, and-thereis less injury'to the bodyof the trunk by reason of the smaller lnumber of nails required.` Moreover, thevloosening of `a .nail does-not `materially detract from the strength ofthe Ifasteningas `when clamps in separate .piecesare used, and thewholebeing composedl eigene, piece the danger of losingany-part is; entirely obviated., By. reason ofthe folded form of the edges of theslat-,the strength and stiffness Ofethe body of the sameare greatly increased, enablinga light material-to be used. Incaseof slats-for use upon the. sides, ends,Z .and-topfofithe tru-nk between the edge slats,

. the side clamps are omitted,andfforpurposes of ornamention as Well as for increasing the The corrugation ,of l the slataddstc-the. strength of the slat and. at the same time vgives a numberof bearingl Aedgesywhich seat on-the. trunk and .brace the body of the slat and prevent it being crushed.

strength the face of the slat is preferably' corrugated, as shown in Fig. ,4. For use upon the bottom of the trunk the slats are usually made plain in order to give a smoother surface.

The side and end clamps may be used with a slathaving .the body plain, but having its longitudinal edge turned under. In all cases where the side clamps are used the portion of the edge of the slat between the side clamps is turned under. The end clamps, as indicated in the figures, are at their juncture with the body of the slat of less Width than the slat before its edges are turned under. This feature is attended with several advantages. The end clamps are not corrugated, nor are their edges turned under. In turning under the longitudinaledges of the slat-.thebody 0f the slat is reduced 4to the `same Width .asthat ofthe adjoining `portions .ofthe .end clamps. Consequently ,the end clamps .conceal .and protect the `raw ends of the turned-under edges. This obviates the necessity of turn.` ing under the edgesof .theend clampawhich would necessitate carrying the. turned-*under edges over the edge of .the trunk,whic h would cause vthe metal to 'buckle more or lessrand would notpresent as neat la finish.y

For the bottom corner-slats I makense of the form shown vin Figs. -5 and.6,an d attach near each end thereof a .roller 6. The. .roller ismountednpon the slat as a permanent attachment` thereto .by. meanscf ears 7 ,struck inward-ly from theface of the` slat at any desired distance from the endthereofyandthe roller 6 is journaled between the Iears-upon la shaft or rivet 8, set into the ears lat .such a pointthat-a portion of the roller-extends below the face of .the slat and .thefbalance vlies between .the upper and lowerface of theslat. The ears 7 7 serve .the further.purpose ofactingas supports for the fojlded-over edges of the backoftheslat, as shownin Figs. 5 yand 6, to ypreventthe possible `collapseof the same at the ypoint required'to support the .greatest strain. l V Forthe purpose of allowing suflicient room for the free Working of the rollerpthe edges of theslat arefolded overwith a less abrupt turn than in .slats for other position/sordinarily leaving about.three-eighthsof an inch between the innerandouter face ofthe slat..

Theseslats may be manufactured in regular sizes, the'distance between the oppositeend clamps being varied according to the length longitudinally corrugated, theloweredges cf ICO the longitudinal ridges or ribs formed by the corrugations constituting bearing portions, which seat upon the trunk and support the body of the slat, and said corrugated slat having its longitudinal edges turned under to form a portion of the bearing-face of the slat, substantially as set forth.

2. Atrunk-slat consisting of astrip of metal having its opposite edges turned under to form an inner bearing-face for the slat, and two end clamps or extensions of less width than the body of the slat before such edges are turned under, said clamps or extensions being formed integral with the body of the slat and bent downward from its two ends at an angle thereto, whereby said clamps or extensions protect and conceal the ends of the turned-under edges of the slat, substantially as set forth.

A metallic trunk-slat having side extensions or trimmings formed thereu pon integral with the body of the slat and bent down from one ot' the longitudinal edges of the slat to form side clamps for purposes of attachment to a side of the trunk at an angle to that side of the trunk upon which the body of the slat is attached, the edge of the body of the slat between said extensions and the opposite edge of the body of the slat being turned under to form an inner bearing-face for the slat upon the same side as that from which the clamps extend, substantially as specified.

4. A metallic trunk-slat having end extensions or clamps and edge extensions or trimmings formed integral therewith and extending at an angle to the body thereof in a position to i`orm clamps for the purposes of attachment to a side or end of a trunk at an angle to that side of the trunk upon which the body of the slat is secured, the longitudinal side edges of the body of the slat being turned under to form an inner bearing-face for the slat upon the same side of the slat as that from which said clamps extend, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. A trunk-Slat consisting of astrip of metal having its opposite edges turned down to form an inner face for the slat, and opposite end clamps formed integral with the body of the slat and bent down at an angle thereto, the body of the slat being longitudinally corrugated, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

6. Atrunk-slat consisting of a strip of metal having its opposite edges turned down to form an inner bearing-face at a short distance from the part forming the outer face, ears struck inwardly from said outer face, and a roller journaled between said ears and projecting outwardly through the space from which the metal forming the ears is struck, substantially as set forth.

7 A trunk-Slat consisting of a strip of metal having its opposite edges turned down to form an inner face at a short distance from the part forming the outer face, end clamps formed integral with the body of the slat and bent down at an angle thereto, ears struck inwardly from said outer face near the ends thereof, and a roller j onrnaled between said ears and projecting outwardly through the space from which the metal forming the ears is struck, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

8. Atrunk-slat consisting of a strip of metal having its opposite edges folded over to forni an inner face at a short distance from the inner side of the part forming the outer face, end clamps formed integral with said outer face and bent inwardly at an angle thereto, ears struck inwardly from said outer face, near the opposite ends thereof, of a height equal to In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in 9o Witnesses:

WALTER HoLcoMB, F. W. LANE. 

